Changes in the distribution of species due to global climate change have a critically significant impact on the increase in the spread of invasive species. An in-depth study of the distribution patterns of invasive species and the factors influencing them can help to better predict and combat invasive alien species. Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is an invasive species that primarily harms plants of Trachycarpus H. Wendl. The pest invades trees in three main ways: by laying eggs and incubating them in the crown of the plant, on roots at the surface and at the base of the trunk or petiole. Most of the plants in the genus Trachycarpus are taller, and the damage is concentrated in the middle and upper parts of the plant, making control more difficult. In this paper, we combine 19 bioclimatic variables based on the MaxEnt model to project the current and future distributions of R. ferrugineus under three typical emission scenarios (2.6 W m−2 (SSP1-2.6), 4.5 W m−2 (SSP2-4.5) and 8.5 W m−2 (SSP5-8.5)) in the 2050s and 2090s. Among the 19 bioclimatic variables, five variables were screened out by contribution rates, namely annual mean temperature (BIO 1), precipitation of driest quarter (BIO 17), minimum temperature of coldest month (BIO 6), mean diurnal range (BIO 2) and precipitation of wettest quarter (BIO 16). These five variables are key environmental variables that influence habitat suitability for R. ferrugineus and are representative in reflecting its potential habitat. The results showed that R. ferrugineus is now widely distributed in the southeastern coastal area of China (high suitability zone), concentrating in the provinces of Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi and Taiwan. In the future, the area of high and low suitability zones will increase and the area of medium suitability zones will decrease. The area of low suitability zone will still be in the largest proportion. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference for the future control of R. ferrugineus from the perspective of geographic distribution.

Identifying the factors that determine the spatial distribution and habitat use of species of conservation importance is essential to developing effective conservation and management strategies. As seed dispersers, guans play a key role in the regeneration of forests in South America and are threatened mainly by habitat loss and hunting pressure. The Yungas Guan Penelope bridgesi, an endemic species restricted to the Southern Yungas of Argentina and Bolivia, has been recently recognized as a separate species. To determine the conservation status of Yungas Guan, information on its distribution and habitat use is urgently needed. The objectives of our work were to 1) determine the potential distribution of the Yungas Guan in the Southern Yungas of Argentina and 2) assess the influence of environmental and anthropogenic covariables on habitat use of the species. We used records of Yungas Guan to model the potential distribution of the species with MaxEnt software and developed occupancy models to determine habitat use and influential elements of the landscape (puestos, urban areas, roads, rivers, and elevation). We obtained data on the presence of Yungas Guan with camera traps, with an effort of 6,990 camera trap-days. The total potential distribution of the species was 21,256 km2. We found that the habitat use by Yungas Guan increased with proximity to rivers and streams. The probability of habitat use was 0.27, with a range of 0.02–0.42. Of the total potential distribution area, 15,781 km2 (81%) had a probability of habitat use greater than 0.2. This study is the first in determining the potential distribution of Yungas Guan in the Southern Yungas of Salta and Jujuy provinces in Argentina and highlights the importance of conducting analyses with occupancy models to assess the influence of environmental and anthropogenic variables and threats to cracid species.

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle Rafetus swinhoei is the rarest turtle species, with just two individuals known to be surviving, one male in a zoo in China and one individual recently identified as a female in the wild in Viet Nam. As the species is on the brink of extinction, it is an urgent priority to search for additional individuals in the wild, and for areas where it may still be present. Here, we analysed areas where the species may still occur, identified through interview surveys in Viet Nam. In addition, we introduced a novel system for evaluating the potential for occurrence of this rare and elusive freshwater turtle, using a conservation priority index. This index was based on three recorded variables: (1) probability of the species' presence based on interviews with local fishers, (2) degree of habitat alteration, and (3) fishing intensity, with the latter two based on experts’ evaluation of the sites where the species could potentially be present. There were at least 13 independent, reliable sightings in the 2010s, seven of which were in 2018–2019, indicating that R. swinhoei potentially persists in the wild. Although the species was confirmed at only one site, there are at least three more sites where it is likely to be present, and 13 sites of conservation interest. We provide a description of all sites where the species is potentially present, and a summary of relevant interviews. The Da River system has the highest number of recent sightings. We recommend that a research and conservation project be initiated urgently, and outline how such a project could be implemented.

We present the first report of Amblycerus dispar (Sharp) attacking stored almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb] in Argentina. A summarized diagnosis, illustrations, and photographs of the adult and mature larva are provided to facilitate identification. We performed species distribution models for A. dispar and its main host plant Geoffroea decorticans (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart. We include A. dispar into a previous morphological character matrix and conduct a phylogenetic analysis to infer its phylogenetic position. The evolution of host plant associations of the genus Amblycerus is herein re-analyzed. A. dispar and its main host shows high suitability areas especially in central-west Argentina and Chile, whereas for the USA, high suitability areas were found for the south-western which include the area of almond production in this country. Although the presence of A. dispar in the USA region is very unlikely, we recommend some awareness as other bruchines are present in the area. Although A. dispar is unlikely to become an economically important risk, monitoring for early detection is recommended to avoid productivity loss, especially when the native host is nearby cultivated areas. A. dispar is hypothesized to be the sister species of A. schwarzi Kingsolver. The colonization of a Rosaceae species is a novelty for this genus, being host shifts known as an important factor affecting both natural and agricultural systems.

The introduction of alien species is one of the main problems in conservation. Many successful invaders cause severe economic and ecological damage. Such is the case of Leptoglossus occidentalis, a phytophagous true bug native to North America, which has become a pest in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Within the genus, another species whose distributional range is expanding toward the east of North America is Leptoglossus clypealis. As climate determines the successful establishment of insects, the identification of climatically suitable areas for invasive species based on ecological niche models (ENMs) offers an excellent opportunity for preventing invasions. In this study, ENMs were built for both species and their native climatic niches were compared. Their niche breath was also measured. The climatic niches of both species are identical and the niche breadth of L. clypealis is broader than that of L. occidentalis. In view of the great ecological resemblance between these two species, we believe that L. clypealis could became a major pest thus it should be carefully monitored. The results of the present worldwide ENMs showed numerous regions with suitable conditions for the establishment of both species. The future ENMs exhibited a retraction in the suitable areas in North America, Europe and Asia.

Habitat loss is one of the main threats to wildlife, particularly large mammals. Estimating the potential distribution of threatened species to guide surveys and conservation is crucial, primarily because such species tend to exist in small fragmented populations. The Endangered huemul deer Hippocamelus bisulcus is endemic to the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina. Although the species occurs in the Valdivian Ecoregion, a hotspot for biodiversity, we have no information on its occupancy and potential distribution in this region. We built and compared species distribution models for huemul using the maximum entropy approach, using 258 presence records and sets of bioclimatic and geographical variables as predictors, with the objective of assessing the potential distribution of the species in the Valdivian Ecoregion. Annual temperature range and summer precipitation were the predictive variables with the greatest influence in the best-fitting model. Approximately 12,360 km2 of the study area was identified as suitable habitat for the huemul, of which 30% is included in the national protected area systems of Chile and Argentina. The map of potential distribution produced by our model will facilitate prioritization of future survey efforts in other remote and unexplored areas in which huemul have not been recorded since the 1980s but where there is a high probability of their occurrence.

The specialist tingid, Carvalhotingis visenda, is a biological control agent for cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae). Cat's claw creeper is an invasive liana with a wide climatic tolerance, and for biological control to be effective the tingid must survive and develop over a range of temperatures. We evaluated the effect of constant temperatures (0–45°C) on the survival and development of C. visenda. Adults showed tolerance for wider temperature ranges (0–45°C), but oviposition, egg hatching and nymphal development were all affected by both high (>30°C) and low (<20°C) temperatures. Temperatures between 20°C and 30°C are the most favourable for adult survival, oviposition, egg hatching and nymphal development. The ability of adults and nymphs to survive for a few days at high (40°C and 45°C) and low (0°C and 5°C) temperatures suggest that extreme temperature events, which usually occur for short durations (hours) in cat's claw creeper infested regions in Queensland and New South Wales states are not likely to affect the tingid population. The potential number of generations (egg to adult) the tingid can complete in a year in Australia ranged from three to eight, with more generations in Queensland than in New South Wales.

Two correlative approaches to the challenge of ecological niche modeling (genetic algorithm, maximum entropy) were used to estimate the potential global distribution of the invasive fruit fly, Bactrocera invadens, based on associations between known occurrence records and a set of environmental predictor variables. The two models yielded similar estimates, largely corresponding to Equatorial climate classes with high levels of precipitation. The maximum entropy approach was somewhat more conservative in its evaluation of suitability, depending on thresholds for presence/absence that are selected, largely excluding areas with distinct dry seasons; the genetic algorithm models, in contrast, indicate that climate class as partly suitable. Predictive tests based on independent distributional data indicate that model predictions are quite robust. Field observations in Benin and Tanzania confirm relationships between seasonal occurrences of this species and humidity and temperature.